4.17. The End Of Time

The Specials - 2009

Writer: Russell T. Davies
Produced by: Tracie Simpson
Director: Euros Lynn
Music: Murray Gold

Synopsis

It is said that in the final days of planet Earth everyone had bad dreams. But they forgot their nightmares - all except one - Wilfred Mott.

Wilfred visits a church whilst Christmas shopping. He looks at the stained glass window and sees a blue box. A woman appears, and talks of the legend of the Blue Box.

The TARDIS materialises on the Ood sphere; the Doctor has been summoned by Ood Sigma, that he should not have delayed. Odd Sigma takes the Doctor to a city that has been created in 100 hundred years, which concerns the Doctor as things are happening too fast. Someone is accelerating the Oods' development. The Ood are also having bad dreams.

The Doctor joins Ood, and sees an image of the Master. The Ood show the Doctor images of Wilf, and Joshua Naismith, and Lucy Saxon, the Master's wife. The Doctor shows the Ood who the Master is. The Doctor insists the Master is dead, but part of him survived. And the Ood have a chilling warning for the Doctor - the end of time.

As the Doctor rushes back to Earth, Lucy Saxon is meeting the new Governor of her prison in an underground cell. The new Governor has plans to bring the Master back. Prison guards start to make a potion to bring him back. Lucy Saxon's lips hold the biometric key to bringing the Master back. The guards give their life force to bring the Master back from the dead. But Lucy has always thought he would return, and has a counter potion that she throws at the still forming Master.

The Doctor arrives at the ruins of HMS Broadfell prison.

In his study, Joshua Naismith is studying footage from CCTV of the night the prison was destroyed, and sees a blurred figure rush past. Abigail Naismith hopes that this is the Master. He has also been preparing for his return.

Wilf has been organising his friends into a search party for the Doctor, or the TARDIS.

At nearby waste ground a burger van is visited by the Master, who is constantly hungry. He arrives from the air by two other people, and hastily eats his burger. One of the people, Ginger, recognises the Master as Harold Saxon. The Master takes a giant leap, and consumes the two people, after previously consuming those in the burger van. The Master's resurrection went wrong and is burning up his own life force, and needs to constantly feed.

The Master stars striking an old barrel, alerting the Doctor to his location. The Doctor rushes over to where he hears the sound, and sees the Master. The Doctor chases after the Master, and meets Wilf and his friends. The Doctor returns with Wilf to a café, and talk over their experiences. Wilf explains about the bad dreams, and the face he sees. The Doctor is concerned why Wilf can find the Doctor so easily. From the café window they can see Donna. Wilf asks the Doctor to help her, but he reminds him that if Donna remembers, she will die.

Later in the evening the Doctor returns to the waste ground to meet the Master, who is bristling with energy. As the Doctor walks towards him the Master fires huge bolts of energy. Most miss, but one hits the Doctor. The Doctor, lying in the dust, tells the Master that something else is returning. The Master is still hearing a drumbeat, and shares this with the Doctor. Something is calling the Master, and he asks the Doctor what it is. At that moment, a helicopter appears overhead and men kidnap the Master. The Doctor tries to help, but is fire at and left unconscious.

On Christmas Day, Wilfred receives a book by Joshua Naismith from Donna. Donna doesn't know why she bought it. During the Queen's Speech Wilf sees the woman from the church who warns him about events to come. Outside, the Doctor meets Wilf, and Wilf shows the Doctor the book Donna bought. Wilf goes with the Doctor in the TARDIS to track down Joshua.

It is Joshua Naismith, and his daughter Abigail, have kidnapped the Master. Joshua has a gate that is not from Earth. As it is powering up, two scientists go off to the basement to 'check fluctuations in the power cord.' Alone they remove their human disguises. They have been trying to hijack the project from Naismith, and now plan to use the Master.

Naismith tells the Master the gate was found in a crashed spaceship at the foot of Mount Snowdon. Torchwood took it, and Naismith acquired it when Torchwood fell. The gate needs monitoring 24 hours a day, so a system has been set up where two cubicles must be permanently staffed. One cubicle can only open when the other has an occupant.

The gate appears to perform cellular regeneration. A burns victim has had her arm regenerated. The plan is for Naismith to use the gate to ensure his daughter never dies. But they need the Master's help. The Master repairs the gate, but is restrained before he can get himself near.

Outside Naismith's house the Doctor and Wilf arrive. The Doctor breaks in to the basement, and finds the two scientists back in human form. The Doctor knows they are using a 'shimmer' to disguise themselves. The scientists reveal they are Vinvocci, and that they are salvaging the Hipocci gate. The scientists tell the Doctor the gate is a medical repair device. When Wilf asks why it is so big the scientists say it doesn't just repair one person, it mends whole planets by transmitting a medical template across the whole planet.

The Doctor rushes upstairs and tells people to shut down the gate. The Master escapes from the restraints and into the machine, where his template starts to transmit into everyone on Earth. The Doctor shields Wilf in one of the cubicles as everyone on Earth starts to transform in to the Master. Everyone except Donna, who starts to remember.

On the last day of the Time War, a meeting is in progress. A prophecy says Gallifrey, along with the Time Lords, is predicted to fall on this day. The Lord President insists he will not allow one billion years of history perish. The prophecy talks of two survivors. The Lord President knows salvation lies with the planet Earth.

Back on Earth, the Doctor and Wilf have been restrained by the Master, who now controls the whole of Earth, including all its weaponry. Wilf's mobile begins to ring. As the Master is everyone, there is only one person it can be - Donna. Wilf tells Donna to run as everyone/the Master starts to look for her. As Donna begins to remember more about the Doctor, Time Lord energy escapes from her, and stuns everyone close by, and Donna collapses.

Two people in the house have not been affected - the Vinvocci. One of them knocks out the Master, and free the Doctor and Wilf. Unable to free the Doctor in time they wheel him out still tied to his chair as more Masters give chase. The Vinvocci teleport themselves, the Doctor and Wilf to their spacecraft in orbit. The Doctor destroys the Vinvocci teleport, meaning the Masters cannot follow him. But the Master has every missile at his command to aim at the Vinvocci craft. The Doctor cuts the power to the ship, meaning the Masters are unable to track it.

With the Doctor trapped on the Vinvocci ship, all the Masters on Earth concentrate on the signal that is being heard by the Master - the constant beat he can hear.

The signal has been been planet by the Time Lords in the Master's mind when, aged 8, he looked in to the Untempered Schism. The Lord President sends a diamond through time to Earth, forming a link from the Time War to 21st century Earth. The Master orders other Masters to find out what it was that landed on Earth. They find a white-point star.

On the Vinvocci ship Wilf is looking around, and the woman appears to him again, asking him to take arms to save the Doctor. He later finds the Doctor trying to restore parts of this ship he has broken. Wilf offers the Doctor his old gun, but the Doctor refuses. The Doctor reveals that killing the Master would mean the template snaps, and all the Masters would return to being human. The Doctor still refuses Wilf's gun.

The Master sends a broadcast message that can be heard on the Vinvocci ship and tells the Doctor about the white-point star. The Master plans to use the gate to boost the signal linking Gallifrey to Earth and creating a pathway. The Doctor restores power to the ship and heads toward Earth - Naismith's mansion. The ship is equipped with asteroid lasers, and one of the Vinvocci and Wilf arm a laser cannon to fire at the Masters' missiles.

As the ship files over the mansion the Doctor jumps through a hatch, taking Wilf's gun. He crashes in through the roof. As he aims the gun he seems the Lord President of Gallifrey. The Lord President is amazed that his salvation comes from the Master. The Doctor warns him that is not the case, and the Master reveals he has transplanted himself in to every human, and now he can transplant himself in to every Time Lord.

The Lord President is able to reverse the Master's effect, returning all humans. Earth begins to quake as, in space, Gallifrey returns, dwarfing the planet. People on Earth start panicking when Gallifrey appears in the sky. Wilf makes it back to the mansion, and helps a scientist out of the cubicle by locking himself in to the other one.

Bringing back Gallifrey means opening the time lock, freeing all the nightmares from the Time War. The Lord President plans to end time using the final sanction, allowing the Time Lords to ascend to pure consciousness. The Lord President aims at the Master, but the Doctor stands between them with Wilf's gun. He swaps his aim between the Lord President and the Master. The Doctor fires at the gate equipment, breaking the link and sending the Time Lords and Gallifrey back to the Time War.

The injured Doctor gets back to his feet. He appears to be the only survivor. All around is shattered glass. The prophecy said he would die. Then hears knocking - four times. Wilf is still locked in one of the cubicles. A nuclear overload is about to flood the cubicles. There is only one option - the Doctor must lock himself in the other cubicle. As the Doctor locks himself in the radiation begins to flood in.

The Doctor manages to absorb all the radiation, which comes as a surprise to both him and Wilf. The Doctor is covered in cuts, but these disappear. The regeneration cycle has started.

The Doctor decides to look in on some of his past companions one last time; helping Martha and Mickey (now married) by stopping a Sontaran, stopping Luke Smith from getting run over, visiting a space bar and giving Captain Jack the name of the midshipman next to him, visiting the wedding of Donna Noble and Shaun Temple, and visiting Rose Tyler, New Year's Day 2005.

The regeneration starts properly as he makes his way back to the TARDIS, and he tries to hold it off. Ood Sigma appears to him again, and he hears the Ood song. Inside the TARDIS he still tries to hold it back, but energy escapes and the TARDIS starts to break up as the Doctor changes form.

Guest Cast

  • The Master: John Simm
  • Wilfred Mott: Bernard Cribbins
  • The Narrator (1) / Lord President of Gallifrey (2): Timothy Dalton
  • Donna Noble: Catherine Tate (2)
  • Sylvia Noble: Jacqueline King
  • Rose Tyler: Billie Piper (2)
  • Jackie Tyler: Camille Coduri (2)
  • Captain Jack Harkness: John Barrowman (2)
  • Martha Smith-Jones: Freema Agyeman (2)
  • Mickey Smith: Noel Clarke (2)
  • Sarah Jane Smith: Elisabeth Sladen (2)
  • Verity Newman: Jessica Hynes (2)
  • The Woman: Claire Bloom
  • Minnie Hooper: June Whitfield
  • Luke Smith: Thomas Knight (2)
  • Midshipman Frame: Russell Tovey (2)
  • Joshua Naismith: David Harewood
  • Abigail Naismith: Tracy Ifeachor
  • Addams: Sinead Keenan
  • Rossiter: Lawry Lewin
  • Lucy Saxon: Alexandra Moen (1)
  • The Chancellor: Joe Dixon (2)
  • The Partisan: Julie Legrand (2)
  • The Visionary: Brid Brennan (2)
  • Shaun Temple: Karl Collins
  • Governor: Teresa Banham (1)
  • Oliver Barnes: Barry Howard (1)
  • Winston Katsui: Allister Bain (1)
  • Mr. Danes: Simon Thomas (1)
  • Miss Trefusis: Sylvia Seymour (1)
  • Tommo: Pete Lee-Wilson (1)
  • Ginger: Dwayne Scantlebury (1)
  • Serving Woman: Lacey Bond (1)
  • Nerys: Krystal Archer (2)
  • Trinity Wells: Lachele Carl
  • Ood Sigma: Paul Kasey
  • Elder Ood: Rauri Mears
  • Teenager: Max Benjamin (1)
  • Voice of Ood Sigma: Silas Carson
  • Voice of Elder Ood: Brian Cox (1)
  • Voice of Judoon: Nicholas Briggs (2)
  • Sontaran: Don Starkey (2)
  • The Doctor: Matt Smith (2)
Uncredited:
  • Salvation Army Band: 8 unknown
  • Passers by: Christopher Miller, Pooja Sharma, Alphaeus Daniel, John Sheppard, Gary Devonish, Lorna Edwrads, Marcus Elliott, Rowena Ferguson, Theresa Gadd, Andrea Griffiths, Vivek Macwana, Sian Williams, Marsha Mcleod, Charlie Pothecary, Amy Rooke, Lorna Wells, Oskar Gustafson, Emeka Wabara Henry
  • Black cab driver: Steve Bailey
  • Father Christmas: Gerald Sleith
  • Potential Mums: Jill Alexandra, Sandra Scott
  • Potential Daughters: Claire Brice, Natalie Brown
  • Little Girl's Dad: Ben Ashley
  • Little Girl's Mum: Victoria Balster
  • Teenagers: Lavana Brown, Joe Gibbs
  • Little Girl: Katie Gear
  • Children's Choir: 23 unknown
  • Choir Master: Dominic Neville
  • Adult Choir Members: James Neville, Tim Nelson
  • Ood: Jon Davey, Matthew Doman, Kevin Hudson, Andy Jones, Claudio Laurini, Sean Saye, Richard Tunesi, Joe White
  • Footmen: Ian William George, John Childs
  • Photographer: Nick Rogers, Gwen Jenkins
  • Prison Guards: Lucea Eldemire, Maria Gay, Lisa Henderson, Deita Hubbard, Tracy Scott
  • Male Technician A: Mohamoud Adan, Andrew Marchant
  • Male Technician B: Darius Walker
  • Miss Collins: Nicci Sidney
  • Guards A: Matthew Doman, Tyrone Jackson
  • Driving double for Oliver Barnes: Phil Sutton
  • OAP (Sally): Angharad Baxter
  • OAPs: David Bristowe, Shirley Bristowe, Maureen St. Lois, Harry Persaud, Keith Rose
  • Serving Man: Jimmy Mack
  • Christmas Eve drunk: Jason Weeks
  • Chrismas Eve office workers: Hets P, Robert Price, Lucy Page, Liam Dixon
  • Cafe staff: Anne Lyken Garner
  • Christmas Eve passers by: Victoria Alderwick, Michelle Ford, Jayesh Harji, Helena Harrison, Oliver Hopkins, Azhar Miah, Darren Rees
  • Traffic warden: June Campbell
  • Stunt Double for the Master: Paul Herbert
  • Stunt Guards: Tony Lucken, Marlow Warrington
  • Guards: Martin Bridgeman, Kieron Prosser, Jerome Reid, Scott Winter
  • Guards C: Matthew Doman, Tyronne Jackson, Keith Wheeler
  • Guard A / C: Silviu Niscoveanu
  • President Obama: Roger Haynes
  • FBI: Dennis Gregory, Ian Hilditch
  • Journalists: Simone Bennett, Richard Atkin, Keena Anderson, Brian Bowen, Kenesha Brown, Sam Cleasby, Levi Crosdale, Kevin Dawkins, James Elworthy, Ian Wilson, David Horgan, Rebecca Ingram, Sophia Al Janabi, Hana Lewis, Rick Manning, Lisa Morris, Faye Louisa Noriega, Liz Parry, Mustaqeem Rajwani, Max Rodziewicz Wilson, Chris Barber, Ollie Bryan, Phillip Cook, James Mustoe, Silviu Niscoveanu, Joe Reid, Steve Roberts, Andrew Window, Jason Hayes, Richard Oxenham
  • Camera Crew: Nigel Atkins, Nicholas Barry, Bazz Littlefair, Gary Suller
  • Doubles for the Master: Silviu Niscoveanu, Richard Oxenham, Richard Tunesi, Lewis Till
  • Master Journalists: Chris Barber, Ollie Bryan, Philip Cook, James Mustoe, Silviu Niscoveanu, Joe Reid, Steve Roberts, Andrew Window, Jason Hayes, Richard Oxenham
  • Neighbours: Joseph Djerkallis, Tyronne Bankinson, Sherron King, Jessica Rooney, Jeanie Gold, Sherene Skinner, Corrine Bardin, Spirit Fiya Warrior, Sharon Atwal, Alison Ball, Ingrid Bastable, Doreen Connor, Tim Driscoll, Farzin Gharvy, Leon Gocoul, Peter Small, Lyn Holbrook, Alan Medcroft, Marium Nundy, Shankari Raguvaran, Jonathan Mainwaring
  • Master-sized neighbours: Gordon Taggart, Tom Park, Jamie Huggins, Geoff Widdowson, Stevee Davies, Philip Handley
  • Weeping Man Time Lord: Malcolm Grieve
  • Double for Weeping Woman Time Lord: Elizabeth Morgan
  • Time Lords C: Anthony Leach, Pina Harrington, Roger Bailey, Harry Damsell
  • Time Lords A: Andy Elvin, Eric Hartley
  • Double for Vinocci Guard (Visored): Lewis Till
  • Master operatives: Lewis Till, Robin Bower
  • Chiswick Masters: Silviu Niscoveanu, Lews Till, John Childs
  • Master Guards E (Visor down): Lewis Till, John Child, Richard Oxenham, Silviu Niscoveanu
  • Stunt Double for the Doctor: Gordon Seed
  • Master Guards A (Visor down): Robin Bower, Richard Tunesi, Chris Ilston
  • Hand Double for Rossiter: Richard Parry
  • Guards A: Robin Bower, Chris Ilston
  • Hand Double for the Master: Richard Parry
  • Time Lords: Nick Barton, Paul Bradley, Simon Davey, Gareth Evans, Suzanne Fredericks, Denzie Phipps, Anne Lyken Garner, Eric Hartley, Maureen Wild, Dave Wong
  • Hand Double for the Doctor: Chris Goding
  • White Man: Jason Caplin
  • Red Man: Jason Collins
  • Robed Women: Zana Cousins, Nathalie Cuzner, Helen Lennox
  • Robed Men: Marcus Elliott, Jamie Wainwright, Chris Shalders
  • Barman: Jake Applebee
  • Hath: Scott Baker, Jon Davey
  • Raxacoricofallapatorians: Paul Kasey, Rauri Mears
  • Sycorax: Sean Saye
  • Judoon: Joe White
  • Graske: Jimmy Vee
  • General Monsters: Oliver Hopkins, Matthew Doman, Michael Green, Karl Greenwood, Kevin Hudson, Andy Jones, Dominc Kynaston, Adam Sweet, Richard Tunesi, Claudio Laurini
  • Bookshop staff: Sukhi Kaur
  • Customer: Damien Edwards
  • Other customers: Felicity Hill, Matthew Jay, Laura Jenkins, Chris Jones, Azhar Miah, Elin Morgan, Gwen Right, Leroy Henry, Ian Darlington Roberts, Bethlehem Darington Roberts
  • Vicar: John Cecil
  • Best man: David Stock
  • Usher: Garry Lloyd-George
  • Groom's Father: Denzie Phipps
  • Groom's Mother: Michelle Meredith
  • Guests: Laura Aberdeen,. Charles Afele, Kwesi Gepi Attee, Duane Barnes, Laura Bridgwater, Darren Clarke, Endaf Davies, Kathryn Edwards, Mark Gottshalk, Antonia Harrison, Janine Henry, June Jackson, William Jackson, Channon Jacobs, Natalie Paisey, Tim Reid, Julie Shanahan, Lauren Smith, Carina Swaby, Melia Swaby, Kodjo Tsakpo, Ollie Bryan, Dertinder Regazzoli
  • Child Bridesmaid: Annabel Williams

Original broadcast on the BBC

Channel Title Date Viewers Rating
BBC 1 3. The End Of Time, Part One Friday, December 25, 2009 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM 11.57M 87
BBC HD 3. The End Of Time, Part One 1 Friday, December 25, 2009 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM 0.47M
BBC 1 3. The End Of Time, Part Two Friday, January 1, 2010 6:40 PM - 7:55 PM 11.79M 89
BBC HD 3. The End Of Time, Part Two 1 Friday, January 1, 2010 6:40 PM - 7:55 PM 0.48M
1: Position only for that channel

Click here to show repeat broadcasts on the BBC

Studios

  • HTV Studios, Culverhouse Cross, Cardiff - Studio 1
  • Upper Boat Studios - Studio 6
  • Upper Boat Studios - Studios 1 and 2
  • Upper Boat Studios - Studios 2 and 3

Outside Locations

  • Alleyway off Clinton Road, Penarth
  • Blackwells Bookshop, Cardiff University, Senghennydd Road, Cardiff
  • Brandon Estate, Kennington, London
  • Caerphilly Castle, Castle Street, Caerphilly
  • Cardiff Docks
  • Cemex, Taffs Well Quarry, Ty Nant Road, Taffs Well
  • City Hall, Cathays Park, Cardiff
  • Jesson House, Rodney Estate, Southwark, London
  • Kardomah Caré, 11 Portland Street, Swansea
  • Mir Steel, Corporation Road, Newport
  • Nant Fawr Roard, Cyncoed, Cardiff
  • Royal Close/Paget Road, Penarth
  • Slab Yards, Corus, Llanwern Works, Newport
  • St Augustine's Church, Church Place, Penarth
  • St Mary's Church, Church Lane, Marshfield, near Newport
  • Tiger Tiger, Greyfriars Road, Cardiff
  • Traffic Managment Wales Centre, Coryton, Cardiff
  • Tredegar House, Newport
  • Wharton Street, Cardiff
  • Wookey Hole, Wells, Somerset